Linked leverage exercise system

Abstract

An exercise device having a pivoted resistance and a two-piece pivoted linkage assembly to connect the resistance with the user. A user impact device, for receiving force from the user may be connected to the two-piece pivoted linkage assembly. The respective lengths of the two pieces of the linkage assemble and the points of pivotal mounting are used to determine the resistance profile.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A linked leverage exercise system, comprising: a pivotal frame member;   a frame comprising a support arm for mounting the pivotal frame member to the frame, said support arm being pivotally mounted to said frame adjacent to a first end of the support arm and being pivotally mounted to the pivotal frame member adjacent to a second end, and a means for locking said support arm in position;   a mass swing arm disposed generally horizontally in an at-rest position, said mass swing arm being pivotally connected to said frame for arcuate movement about said pivotal connections said mass swing arm comprising resistance means connected to the mass swing arm, and means for selectively varying the resistance of the resistance means;     a linkage assembly comprising a hoisting link bar and a pivotal frame member, said hoisting link bar pivotally interconnecting the mass swing arm with the pivotal frame member, said pivotal frame member pivotally interconnecting the hoisting link bar with the frame;   means for selecting the relative lengths of the hoisting link bar and the pivotal frame member; and   means for selecting the locations of the pivot connections of the mass swing arm to the frame and the mass swing arm to the hoisting link bar, and the location of the pivotal connection of the pivotal frame member to the hoisting link bar;   whereby various force profiles are achieved by selecting the relative lengths of the hoisting link bar and the pivotal frame member, the locations of the pivot connections of the mass swing arm to the frame and the mass swing arm to the hoisting link bar, and the location of the pivotal connection of the pivotal frame member to the hoisting link bar.   
     
     
       2. The exercise system of claim 1 wherein the mass swing arm further comprises an adjustment tube extending substantially the length of the mass swing arm with said resistance means slidably mounted thereto. 
     
     
       3. The exercise system of claim 1 further comprising a user means for transmitting force from a user to the mass swing arm, said user means being interconnected with said linkage assembly and having a user interface, for receiving force from a user. 
     
     
       4. The exercise system of claim 3 wherein said user means is pivotally mounted to said pivotal frame member. 
     
     
       5. The exercise system of claim 3 wherein said user means is pivotally mounted to said hoisting link bar. 
     
     
       6. The exercise system of claim 3 wherein said user means is rigidly mounted to said pivotal frame member. 
     
     
       7. The exercise system of claim 3 wherein said user means is rigidly mounted to said hoisting link bar. 
     
     
       8. The exercise system of claim 3 wherein said user means comprises an accommodating lever arm, the accommodating lever arm further comprising: a linkage pivot pivotally connected to the linkage assembly;   a user pivot pivotally connected to the user interface and generally parallel in orientation to the linkage pivot; and   a connection member connecting the frame pivot to the user pivot; whereby the connection member is of such a length as to allow the user means to accommodate users with different body dimensions.     
     
     
       9. The exercise system of claim 1 further comprising a weight means connected to the mass swing arm. 
     
     
       10. The exercise system of claim 9 wherein the weight means comprises a selector means for engaging a selected point on the mass swing arm, and a single weight which is connected to and descends from the selector means. 
     
     
       11. The exercise system of claim 10 wherein the mass swing arm further comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion comprising an adjustment tube for engaging said selector means, and the lower portion comprising a pivot for connecting the hoisting link bar to the mass swing arm. 
     
     
       12. The exercise system of claim 1 wherein the position of the weight means along the mass swing arm remains constant during an exercise stroke. 
     
     
       13. The exercise system of claim 1 further comprising a single mass swing arm. 
     
     
       14. The exercise system of claim 1 wherein the pivotal frame member is adjustable in length. 
     
     
       15. The exercise system of claim 14 wherein the pivotal frame member further comprises a telescoping mechanism for adjusting the length of said pivotal frame member. 
     
     
       16. The exercise system of claim 14 wherein the hoisting link bar is adjustable in length. 
     
     
       17. The exercise system of claim 16 wherein the hoisting link bar further comprises a telescoping mechanism for adjusting the length of said hoisting link bar. 
     
     
       18. The exercise system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of lower link pivots positioned along the mass swing arm for pivotally mounting the hoisting link bar to the mass swing arm, whereby various force profiles can be achieved by mounting the hoisting link bar to a selected one of said plurality of lower link pivots. 
     
     
       19. A linked leverage exercise system, comprising: a pivotal frame member;   a frame comprising a support arm for mounting the pivotal frame member to the frame, said support arm being mounted to said frame adjacent to a first end of the support arm and being pivotally mounted to the pivotal frame member adjacent to a second end, and means for securing said support arm in position;   a mass swing arm disposed generally horizontally in an at-rest position, said mass swing arm being pivotally mounted to said frame for arcuate movement about said pivotal mounting;   a weight means mounted on said mass swing arm for providing resistance to the user;   means for selectively engaging the weight means at various positions on the mass swing arm;   a user means for transmitting force from a user to the mass swing arm; and   a linkage assembly for pivotally interconnecting the mass swing arm with the user means and the frame, said linkage assembly comprising a hoisting link bar and a pivotal frame member, said hoisting link bar pivotally interconnecting the mass swing arm with the pivotal frame member, said pivotal frame member pivotally interconnecting the hoisting link bar with the frame, and said user means pivotally mounted to the linkage assembly;   whereby various force profiles are predetermined by the relative lengths of the hoisting link bar and the pivotal frame member, the locations of the pivot connections of the mass swing arm to the frame and the mass swing arm to the hoisting link bar, and the location of pivotal mounting of the user means to the linkage assembly.   
     
     
       20. The exercise system of claim 19 wherein the mass swing arm further comprises an adjustment tube extending substantially the length of the mass swing arm with said weight means slidably mounted thereto. 
     
     
       21. The exercise system of claim 19 wherein said user means is pivotally mounted to said pivotal frame member. 
     
     
       22. The exercise system of claim 19 wherein said user means is pivotally mounted to said hoisting link bar. 
     
     
       23. The linked leverage exercise system of claim 13 wherein said user means is rigidly mounted to said pivotal frame member. 
     
     
       24. The exercise system of claim 19 wherein said user means is rigidly mounted to said hoisting link bar. 
     
     
       25. The exercise system of claim 13 wherein said user means comprises a user interface for receiving force from a user and an accommodating lever, the accommodating lever arm further comprising: a frame pivot, pivotally connected to the pivotal frame member;   a user pivot, pivotally connected to the user interface and generally parallel in orientation to the frame pivot; and   a connection member, connecting the frame pivot to the user pivot; whereby the length of the connection member allow the user means to accommodate users with different body dimensions.     
     
     
       26. The exercise system of claim 19 wherein the weight means directly rides on the mass swing arm. 
     
     
       27. The exercise system of claim 26 wherein the weight means comprises a selector means for engaging a selected point on the mass swing arm, and a single weight which is connected to and descends from the selector means. 
     
     
       28. The exercise system of claim 27 wherein the mass swing arm further comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion comprising an adjustment tube for engaging said selector means, and the lower portion comprising a pivot for connecting the hoisting link bar to the mass swing arm. 
     
     
       29. The exercise system of claim 19 wherein the position of the weight means along the mass swing arm remains constant during an exercise stroke. 
     
     
       30. The exercise system of claim 19 further comprising a single mass swing arm. 
     
     
       31. The exercise system of claim 19 wherein the pivotal frame member is adjustable in length. 
     
     
       32. The exercise system of claim 31 wherein the pivotal frame member further comprises a telescoping mechanism for adjusting the length of said pivotal frame member. 
     
     
       33. The exercise system of claim 31 wherein the hoisting link bar is adjustable in length. 
     
     
       34. The exercise system of claim 33 wherein the hoisting link bar further comprises a telescoping mechanism for adjusting the length of said hoisting link bar. 
     
     
       35. The exercise system of claim 19 further comprising a plurality of lower link pivots positioned along the mass swing arm for pivotally mounting the hoisting link bar to the mass swing arm, whereby various force profiles can be achieved by mounting the hoisting link bar to a selected one of said plurality of lower link pivots. 
     
     
       36. A linked leverage exercise system comprising: a pivotal frame member;   a frame further comprising a support arm for mounting the pivotal frame member to the frame, said support arm being pivotally mounted to said frame adjacent to a first end of the support arm and being pivotally mounted to the pivotal frame member adjacent to a second end, and a means for locking said support arm in position;   a single mass swing arm disposed generally horizontally in an at-rest position, said mass swing arm being pivotally mounted to said frame for arcuate movement about said pivotal mounting;   weight means mounted on and depending from said mass swing arm for providing resistance to a user;   means for selectively engaging the weight means at various positions on the mass swing arm whereby the position of the weight means along the mass swing arm remains constant during an exercise stroke;   a user means for transmitting force from a user to the mass swing arm; and   a linkage assembly for pivotally interconnecting the mass swing arm with the user means and the frame, said linkage assembly comprising a hoisting link bar and a pivotal frame member, said hoisting link bar pivotally interconnecting the mass swing arm with the pivotal frame member, said pivotal frame member pivotally interconnecting the hoisting link bar with the frame, and said user means mounted to the linkage assembly;   whereby various force profiles are predetermined by selecting the relative lengths of the hoisting link bar and the pivotal frame member, selecting the locations of the pivot connections of the mass swing arm to the frame and the mass swing arm to the hoisting link bar, and selecting the location of the pivotal mounting of the user means to the linkage assembly.   
     
     
       37. The exercise system of claim 36 wherein the pivotal frame member further comprises a telescoping mechanism for adjusting the length of said pivotal frame member. 
     
     
       38. The exercise system of claim 37 wherein the hoisting link bar further comprises a telescoping mechanism for adjusting the length of said hoisting link bar. 
     
     
       39. The exercise system of claim 36 further comprising a plurality of lower link pivots positioned along the mass swing arm for pivotally mounting the hoisting link bar to the mass swing arm, whereby various force profiles can be achieved by mounting the hoisting link bar to a selected one of said plurality of lower link pivots.